Old
Guard Soldiers carry the casket of fellow Old Guard Soldier Private First
ClassLeonel
Cabrera out of Memorial Chapel Tuesday. He was buried at Arlington National
Cememtery. Cabrera died in a training accident at fort A.P. Hill last week.

The 3rd U.S. Infantry escorts thousands of
Soldiers a year on their last procession. Tuesday, The Old Guard said good-bye
to one of its own at Fort Myer's Memorial Chapel.

The left side of the chapel was filled with
Old Guard troops dressed in their Class A uniforms to honor Private First
Class Leonel Cabrera. The 20-year-old soldier died in a training accident
November 12, 2003, at Fort A. P. Hill. The medic went over to help another
soldier erect a 30- to 35-foot FM radio antenna, when it struck a 7,200-volt
power antenna around 11:30 a.m. Cabrera was declared dead about an hour
later at Mary Washington Hospital in Richmond.

Specialist Michael Artis, 23, was also injured
in the accident and taken to Virginia Hospital in Richmond. Artis has since
recovered and has returned to duty.

The Manassas native joined the Army less than
a year ago in Baltimore. He then did his basic training at Fort Benning,
Georgia, and Advanced Individual Training at Fort Sam Houston, Texas. Cabrera
was a member of The Old Guard's Medical Platoon.

A large contingent of family and friends filed
into the church moments before the funeral.

A photograph of the Soldier faced the mourners
with a proud determined mien.

Sandra Carcamo called Cabrera an "extraordinarily
competent man." A friend, Victor Fuentas spoke both in Spanish and English.
"He was a good man, husband and a Soldier," Fuentas said. "A good man's
life was taken, a man of golden dreams, a man who knew what to say to make
others feel better."

Sheen Cabrera, Leonel's pregnant wife, bravely
and with amazing composure delivered a tender eulogy to her "husband and
best friend."

Chap. (Major) Raymond Robinson said, "Leon
loved his family and the Army. It is truly a tragedy to lose such a young
man, who was just starting out in life."

The chaplain reminded the mourners, "how life
and especially death reminds us we're here for only a short period of time."

Robinson spoke directly to the Old Guard at
one point and told them to remember the good memories and not to dwell
on the negative.
Posted: 1 January 2004